The Effects of Music Intervention in the Management of Chronic Pain: A Single-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial – Source: The Clinical Journal of Pain, Oct 13, 2011

Objective: A music intervention method in the management of pain was recently developed while taking account of recommendations in the scientific literature. The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of this music intervention to the management of patients with chronic pain.

Methods: A controlled, single-blind, randomized trial was used. Eighty-seven patients presenting with lumbar pain, fibromyalgia, inflammatory disease, or neurological disease were included in the study.

During their hospitalization, the intervention arm (n=44) received at least 2 daily sessions of music listening between Day 0 and Day 10, associated with their standard treatment, and then pursued the music intervention at home until Day 60 using a multimedia player in which the music listening software program had been installed.

The control arm received standard treatment only (n=43). The end points measured at Day 0, Day 10, Day 60, and Day 90 were: pain (VAS), anxiety-depression (HAD) and the consumption of medication.
Results: At day 60 in the music intervention arm, this technique enabled a more significant reduction (P<0.001) in pain (6.3±1.7 at Day 0 vs. 3±1.7 at Day 60) when compared with the arm without music intervention (6.2±1.5 at Day 0 vs. 4.6±1.7 at Day 60). In addition, music intervention contributed to significantly reducing both anxiety/depression and the consumption of anxiolytic agents.
Discussion: These results confirm the value of music intervention to the management of chronic pain and anxiety/depression. This music intervention method appears to be useful in managing chronic pain as it enables a significant reduction in the consumption of medication.